How to bet/play Omaha Poker

Five Popular Tips For Omaha Poker Betting

Omaha is considered in a class of its own for some players. Indeed, the game has risen to popularity and provides a change of pace for traditional poker players. 

The five most popular tips for Omaha betting are:

1. Knowing the rules
2. Making the right hands
3. Look for premium hands 
4. Do not underestimate the draws
5. No need to bluff

Knowing The Omaha Poker Rules

As mentioned above, Texas Hold ’em fans will not have much to worry about on the gameplay differences. The game is played basically the same, but you have some variety in your hole cards. 

The two players left of the dealer will have to pay a small blind and big blind before being able to look at their cards. Each player will be dealt four hole cards, versus the traditional two in Texas Hold ’em. 

After the cards are dealt, you will still have betting rounds, and eventually, five cards face up as your community cards. The change here is, you can only keep two of your hole cards out of your four. 

Making The Right Hands

When making your hands in Omaha, you are simply trying to make the best hand possible. The catch here is, you have more opportunities to make a hand than in regular hold ‘em since you have two extra cards in the hole. 

Do not try and overestimate your starting hands. In regular hold ’em, pocket aces would be excellent to have. In Omaha, not so much. Your odds drop significantly due to the bigger possibilities of better hands all around being made. 

Having two aces and two kings suited is the best starting hand in Omaha. The second best hand to have aces with a jack and a ten suited. This is because when you have four hole cards, you will see a ton more flushes and straights.

Look For Premium Hands

After getting the basics out of the way and setting up a playing style, you should be ready to start telling the difference between good and bad hands. You want to be able to sift through hands to capitalize on good ones. 

For example, aces in your pocket without other suited or connected cards is not a very good hand. Having a pair of aces will rarely win, unless you flop a third ace, but there is not much of a chance of improving your hand so you are best to fold. 

If you are having trouble making strong hands, you should play a tight game first. This means you should limit yourself and not try to stay in the game just to make a loose hand work. Odds are your opponent has made something too and it will be much stronger than yours. 

Do Not Underestimate The Draws

Unlike in regular hold ’em, betting and raising with good draw possibilities is not really a bluff at all. You might be holding cards with a flush draw possibility and some cards to complete a straight.

Having a wrap-draw, for example, is the term for your hole cards with a straight draw that can have up to 20 different outs. For example, let’s say you have a holding of a 10, 9, 6, and 5. If both sets are suited, you have a ton of different outs.

No Need To Bluff in Omaha Poker

Psyching out your opponents is one of the best traits you can have as a poker player. You have to be a good liar to be a good player. But for Omaha, you do not need to bluff as much as you think. 

Due to the pot limit style of betting, players are limited to so many bets per round. This way, players are more likely to either put up or shut up for the strength of their hands, especially if someone is aggressive in their bets.